Former Colorado Governor announces 2020 presidential run

WASHINGTON (GrayDC) The former governor of Colorado is now officially a 2020 presidential candidate.

John Hickenlooper announced his candidacy with a video, posted to his campaign website and on his Twitter feed early Monday morning.

“Standing tall when it matters is one of the things that really drives me,” he said in his launch video.

Hickenlooper described his track record as Denver mayor and as the Colorado governor.

“We lifted our rural economy as Colorado went from fortieth in job growth to the number one economy in America,” he said in the video.

This is his first run for president. Before serving as Colorado’s governor, Hickenlooper served as Denver’s mayor for eight years, and prior to that, he was a successful businessman.

“I started out kind of leaning away from it. I'd say probably I am leaning into now," said Hickenlooper to Gray Television back in January.

In the past, Hickenlooper said he supports universal health care. He calls himself more progressive than most of his Democrat counterparts.

The former governor is joining an already crowded field of Democrats aimed at unseating President Donald Trump, including Sens. Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren.

Hickenlooper said there is a lot of change that has to come to Washington, but discussed lawmakers need to come together to make progress. He said Colorado is a good model for how the country should come together.

"The most powerful thing in life is unity. When you bring people together and everyone has a common purpose and will…that’s when civilization moves forward,” he told GrayDC in January.

The former Colorado governor invited his suppporters to a campaign kickoff rally on March 7 at Civic Center Park in Denver.

It's official: I'm asking you to interview me for President. Our country is in crisis, and we need someone who knows how to bring people together and get things done. This is my record, but I've never done it alone. Join me: https://t.co/ta7aY0lTeYpic.twitter.com/HaCnK5paBU